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Book Review: Ink Stains: A Dark Fiction Anthology (Volume 3) edited by N. Apythia Morges

Ink Stains: A Dark Fiction Anthology (Volume 3) edited by N. Apythia Morges

Dark Alley Press, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1946050014

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

This is the third volume in a planned quarterly anthology of horror short stories published by Dark Alley Press.  The collection presents a variety of ghost stories, in which contemporary protagonists are stalked by ghosts from the distant or recent past, seeking solace, release or revenge.  The other Ink Stains anthologies in the series present stories about death and trust.

Volume 3 consists of 10 short stories of varying length, some written by seasoned writers and others by authors who recently entered the horror genre.  The three most interesting ghost stories were among the longest.  The greater length gave authors more time to develop characters and to add twists and turns to the plots.

New author Andrea Hansell wrote “A Visit from Elizabeth”.  A young couple, Mark and Bethany, buy a Nantucket sea captain’s house and invite former college classmates to spend a weekend.  However, Bethany is insecure and jealous of Mark’s gorgeous ex-girlfriend. Unknown to the couple, the house has a tragic history.  A sea captain built the house for his young bride, Elizabeth, then left to run the British blockade during the War of 1812.  The captain was captured and imprisoned.  Elizabeth was pregnant, and the British blockade caused famine in the island. Malnourished, Elizabeth had a stillbirth and died.  Her ghost watched her husband return, marry again, and raise a family in Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth appears only to Bethany.  The ghost lures the frantic Bethany up to the house’s widow’s walk, where Mark is standing.  Elizabeth wants something, and will use Bethany’s jealousy to get it.

Diane Arrelle, a veteran horror author, is the author of “Misplaced”.  An elderly spinster, Miss Annamarie Place, visits an antiquated hotel in her hometown.  The room looks like it did over fifty years ago, when she was a teenager.  Annamarie has returned there because someone claiming to be her daughter called and asked to meet her.  But Annamarie has never been married or pregnant.  Could she have forgotten something so important?  Is dementia or psychosis robbing her of her memories?  When she looks into an old mirror, Annamarie hears a baby wailing, then sees the bed and walls covered in blood.  Bleeding, and in terrible pain, she relives what happened in that room.  Is this all a nightmare, or have Annamarie Place’s memories been truly misplaced?

Another new horror author, Olga Monroe, is the author of “The Amsterdam Chest”.  An English couple is renovating a Victorian mansion.  The wife, Francesca, sees the ghost of a teenage girl dressed in a black velvet dress with a corset and bone frame tapping on a large antique chest, purchased by her husband in Amsterdam.  The mansion and estate have a history of tragedy and mystery, and has passed through many owners over time. When the new owners drain a pond, they discover a headstone that has been submerged for over a century.  It has Latin inscriptions, but no name.  There are no remains.  Francesca recently lost her newborn baby.  She is still in mourning and keeps her dead baby’s clothes in the Amsterdam chest.  Only Francesca sees the ghost, and its appearances become more frequent.  At the same time Francesca becomes more nervous and apprehensive.  She is inexplicably wracked with guilt.  The ghost takes Francesca’s hand and leads her to the chest.  The ghost keeps knocking on the chest.  Its face is blurry at first, but finally becomes clear.  Who is she?  What did Francesca do?

These are the strongest stories in the anthology. Others are more predictable. Overall, the stories have well-paced, interesting plots. Fans of ghost stories should be pleased with the collection. Recommended.

 

Contains: gore

Reviewed by Robert D. Yee

Posted on September 15, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: Double Barrel Horror, Volume 2 edited by Matthew Weber

‘Double Barrel Horror Volume 2

Double Barrel Horror Volume 2 edited by Matthew Weber

Pint Bottle Press, 2017

ISBN: See individual reviews for individual ISBN numbers

Available: Kindle edition

 

Double-Barrel Horror Volume 2 is a series of stand-alone short ebooks, published separately but marketed as a collection. each with two stories by a specific author, which will eventually be collected as a paperback. In the meantime, each ebook is available separately on Kindle.

At the beginning of each of these short ebooks, there is a well-placed warning for readers preparing to go through these tales of terror: “Double-Barrel Horror is a series of fictional horror stories. They are likely to include death, graphic violence, profanity, blasphemy, sexual content and other themes and images that commonly disturb. If you can’t deal with these themes in your fiction, then you should avoid this book.” It would be wise for a potential reader to take this to heart before opening any of these tomes. I have included some warnings with my brief reviews. You’ve been warned…

 

 

“Punk Rock Horror”/”Holes” by Chad Lutzke

ISBN: 9781945005800

Available: Kindle edition

 

In “Punk Rock Re-Animator,” a young man is dragged to his first punk show by his friend, Mike, who promises that it will be the experience of a lifetime. Once he’s in the venue, he starts people-watching. For a little while, it’s nothing out of the ordinary—just a crowd of people wanting a good time. Then he spies the man he calls The Professor. The latter is watching the crowd intently. The evening really picks up after The Professor pulls out the syringe with the glowing green fluid, and injects two people who will never be the same again. Warning: this one gets gory.

“Holes” presents another interesting tale of observation.  Manny Steven is a very bad kid. His neighborhood antics have worn down the people in the neighborhood, children and adults alike. The narrator is no different. He’s alone in the world after the death of his dog, Quincy, for which Manny is responsible. The narrator spends some of his days with a pair of binoculars at his window. He vows never to look inside the privacy of others windows, he strictly relegates his viewing to the street. All is going well until he breaks this promise and his eyes wander over to the Stevens’ apartment where he sees a most disturbing sight. It looks like someone has figured out the best revenge to take on young Manny, and one by one the neighbors are joining in. Warning: torture

 

 

“There Will Be Angels…”/”Marlene the Magnificent” by John Boden

ISBN: 9781945005800

Available: Kindle edition

 

“There Will Be Angels” is the story of a young boy, chained, locked, and alone in a room with nothing but a few tins left of cat food and his angels. Something has happened to his captor. The passage of time is not clear, and he is delirious from hunger and thirst. But his angels watch over him from their permanent places on the ceiling and the walls, and he has faith that his angels that will save him. Warning: child abuse

“Marlene the Magnificent” is…interesting. Marlene is a very popular act for children’s parties, and Timothy Brushett’s parents were able to book the unusual act, sparing no expense. I’m not sure that I would assign the word “magnificent” to Marlene, but she certainly wows the crowd. Warning: a lot of weird sexual content

 

 

“Black Rock Boys”/ “The Perfect Figure Eight” by Simon Dewar

ISBN: 9781945005855

Available: Kindle edition

 

In “Black Rock Boys,” three teenage boys are out in the woods late at night when the school bully, Richie, shows up with an armed friend. What happens when the narrator runs to the black rock covered in runes asking for help? Only he knows, but the next thing he remembers is waking up in the safety of his home. When he shows up to school, he’s different, changed somehow. This story was very Lovecraftian in tone and is a truly great read.  Warning: bullying

“The Perfect Figure Eight” is another tale set around the high school years. Pete loves racing movies, his bike, and his dog. And a girl named Katie. New neighbors move in next door, and Pete finds the new girl, Jessica, is less than polite when they meet. One afternoon, Pete goes to the movie store for another rental of his favourite film and finds himself recommending a title to Katie and her friend. He’s elated as he rides home, and decides to take the most dangerous path, speeds down the hill toward a jump, and eats it…hard. It leaves scarring that becomes the target of Jessica’s bullying. It all comes to a head when he finds Jessica tormenting his beloved dog. They make a deal. Jessica will leave the dog alone so long as he takes the same ride again. He makes one small modification to the plan. Warning: bullying, violence against animals

 

“Shellfish”/”Exile” by Karen Runge

ISBN: 9781945005862

Available: Kindle edition

 

In “Shellfish,” the narrator just wanted to remember the seaside trip she took as a child by herself, but when her lover Tom suggests they go together, she says yes anyway. She’s angry. When they arrive at the hotel, the receptionist remembers her and reminds her of the name David. David, who followed her everywhere when she and her family vacationed there so long ago, who annoyed her as much as Tom is annoying her now. Slowly, memories come back, and her anger and annoyance grow. Warning: brief mention of sex

“Exile”: This is told in second-person which actually works well for this story. It focuses on Elise, who is told she needs to take a vacation. She wants to get away from the day to day noise, to be utterly alone. However, when she succeeds in this endeavor by staying in a secluded house, even the sounds of nature encroach on her surroundings. When she tries to take care of the yard on her own, something terrible happens. But, she just wants to be alone…Warning: a lot of blood, sexual content

 

 


“Roadkill”/”The Getaway” by Patrick Freivald

ISBN: 9781945005831

Available: Kindle edition

 

In “Roadkill,” Jim is driving Gina to work when they see something in the middle of the road. They can’t believe what they see emerging from the animal splayed out in the road. After calling 911 to report it, they both get out to take a look at the thing in the road. Could that really be a child climbing out of the mass in the road? Warning: sexual content, gore

“The Getaway” is the story of a robbery and carjacking gone terribly wrong. After the shooting of their friend Jimmy, Alan and Bud drag an old man out of his own vehicle. As they are driving, they hear knocking coming from the trunk. Jimmy dies in the car, and the remaining failed robbers pull over to dump the body. The knocking gets frantic so they open the trunk to find a bound woman screaming to be taken back to her captor. Warning: gore, gore, and more gore

 

 

“Blinky”/”The Midnight Show” by M.B. Vujacic

ISBN: 9781945005824

Available: Kindle edition

 

“Blinky” is the last person you want to be with on the road, especially if you are a foul-mouthed whippersnapper. Emily’s brother Rod is complaining about the old man behind them who won’t back off his bumper. At the red light, the old man gets out of his vehicle and approaches Rod and Emily, loudly and rudely complaining about Rod leaving his blinker on. After a heating exchange, the old man, who Rod nicknamed Blinky, shoots Rod in the head. Emily takes off, with Blinky and his gun close behind. He kills anyone who gets in the way of his elusive target. What follows is, put simply, is a bloodbath. Warning: gun violence, blood

“The Midnight Show” has a very Lovecraftian feel to it. A traveling circus comes into town, and it’s less than stellar. Will hates it, but Clyde is distracted by a girl named Sombra, the daughter of one of the clowns. She invites them to The Midnight Show, which is guaranteed to be much better than anything the regular show has to offer. Warning: sexual content, blood, eldritch horror

Each of these authors present tales of terror that, while short, sit with the reader for a long time after finishing them. Weber selected some great authors for Double-Barrel Horror Volume 2. It’s clear he has an eye for horror. Recommended for those with ironclad stomachs.

 

Contains: See individual reviews for specific content warnings.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on August 3, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: Grave Predictions: Tales of Mankind’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Disastrous Destiny edited by Drew Ford

Grave Predictions: Tales of Man’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Disastrous Destiny edited by Drew Ford

Dover Publications, 2016

ISBN: 9780486802312

Available: paperback

 

In Grave Predictions, Drew Ford has selected some of the best representations of post-apocalyptic and dystopian short fiction available: stories both beautiful and terrifying. These include tales from some of the most outstanding authors of the genre, such as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, and Ursula K. Le Guin.  Each story is far ahead of its time, with its own distinct presentation of the future, and evokes a range of emotions from the reader. It’s amazing how science fiction writers have more of a pulse on the future than most people care to recognize.

Eugene Mouton’s “The End of the World,” first published in 1872, presents a tragic story about global warming before it even had a name, and culminates in the proclamation that “THE EARTH IS DEAD.” In W. E. B. Du Bois’ “The Comet” (1920), Jim Davis, an African-American man, is sent down to the vaults on a task by the bank president, only to emerge to cold, dead world. It’s reminiscent of the Twilight Zone’s “Time Enough at Last” in that respect. As he makes his way down the city streets he finds Julia, a wealthy white woman, who is seemingly the other survivor. The theme of racial tensions and the breaking down and reconstruction of barriers is central to this story. Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian” (1951) focuses on a writer who walks aimlessly through the city at night when he is stopped by robotic police for aberrant behavior. No one walks around the streets anymore when they have the warm glow of their televisions screens, after all. “Upon the Dull Earth” (1954), by Philip K. Dick is the tragic story of Silvia, Rick, and the fate of the world. Silvia summons angels, believing they are her ancestors who will someday usher her home. She intends to use lamb’s blood, but when she accidentally draws her own blood, they appear to take her home. Rick cannot accept her death, and tries to bring her back, even though it may mean the destruction of his world. In Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s “2 B R 0 2 B” (1962), the United States population has been  limited to forty million people: someone must die in order for someone else to be born. Edward Wehling, Jr.’s wife is about to have triplets, but there is only one volunteer for euthanasia. Desperate, he finds a last minute solution to ensure his children will live. There is a witness to Edward’s predicament, who makes a fateful decision as well.

Other titles in this anthology include Arthur C. Clarke’s “No Morning After” (1954); Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967); Urusla K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973); Brian M. Stableford’s “The Engineer and the Executioner” (1976); Stephen King’s “The End of the Whole Mess” (1986); Joe R. Lansdale’s “Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back” (1992); Greg Bear’s “Judgment Engine”; Mark Samuels’ “The Black Mould” (2011); Ramsey Campbell’s “The Pretence” (2013); and Carmen Maria Machado’s “Inventory” (2013). Highly recommended.

Contains: racial epithets, abuse, body horror, disturbing imagery

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

 

Posted on February 24, 2017 by , Reply
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